Publisher Spotlight: JJ Books

JJ Books is a small independent press founded in London in 2011 by author, businessman, and political and constitutional campaigner, John Jackson, as a champion of the illustrated hardback book. Their books are crafted using some of the same traditional methods and attention to detail used to produce the earliest gift books from the turn of the twentieth century, and the results are works of art in themselves. They believe that the beautifully produced hardback should be an aesthetic as well as a literary experience and their books feature fine papers, exquisite typographies, elegant endpapers and ribbon markers that recall this golden age of reading. Their list reflects John’s diverse interests including nature, self-sufficiency, and mythology. Such eclecticism is underpinned by a faith in the power of words and pictures to fire the imagination, a commitment to independence, self-reliance and curiosity, and a deep respect for storytelling traditions.

Three of the fascinating, beautiful titles we distribute for JJ Books have received 5 star reviews from The Bookbag!

“Beautifully bound and printed, beautifully illustrated, this is a book with stories that you just know will be beautifully told. And you just know it will be pored over and over and over.”–Jill Murphy, The Bookbag5 Star Review

Brahma Dreaming is master storyteller John Jackson’s latest collaboration with the acclaimed artist, Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini. John’s intriguing versions of the tales of the Hindus’ great gods are graced by Daniela’s brilliantly reimagined illustrations of the deities, each a masterpiece of detail and drama, reminiscent of Dulac and Rackham, and the glorious ‘Golden Age.’ These are the tales of the Trimurti – the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva – and Brahma Dreaming is divided into three sections representing their continuous forces of creation, preservation, and destruction. The work begins with Lord Brahma dreaming the universe into being and from there unfolds an enthralling collection of interconnected tales that span the entire spectrum of human experience, dark illusions and earthly temptations. With a distinctive black dust jacket, Brahma Dreaming is finished in black laminate with orange varnish details. Underneath the black cloth cover is a fully illustrated front and back with foil stamping and debossing, also in black and orange. It features elaborate endpapers and is completed with a tangerine ribbon marker.Buy it here $38.95

A Little Piece of England

“The book is not just very readable, but compelling. Looking back when I turned the final page I came to the conclusion that this wasn’t just because of the nature of the story but because of Jackson’s approach to life. He’s resolutely positive and never bemoans his lot, accepting that problems will happen and that there’s nothing to be done but to deal with them. Even when other people act less than well, there’s no criticism – the reader can draw their own conclusions – and the emphasis is on moving forward.”–Sue Magee,The Bookbag5 Star Review

A Little Piece of England tells the tale of how the author’s family, living in a sliver of countryside in London’s commuter belt, came, over some ten years, to make itself, in its ‘spare time’, self-sufficient in its requirements of milk, meat, eggs, vegetables and some fruit. The book can be read in two ways. One way is for those, particularly urban folk, who are interested in growing their own food or contemplating a life style founded on their own smallholding. In this way, it is a book for those who wonder about the practicalities of living in a self-contained, permacultural way and for those who dream of making their own bread or even, perhaps, of eating their own mutton stewed with their own onions and carrots. The other way is for those, perhaps particularly anglophiles in other lands, who are in harmony with the stubborn, Saxon streak which runs strongly in the character and culture of the English. The streak which showed itself when London was fire-bombed night after night in the early 1940s and also when John’s self-taught grandfather told his children: “You don’t know what you can do until you try to do it.”Buy it here $15.95

Tales for Great Grandchildren

“In Tales for Great Grandchildren, John Jackson revives some of the folk tales of ancient India and Nepal. They’re everything you could want – told in accurate and elegant but lively prose and with a great sense of timing for the twist in the tale… Beautifully illustrated by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini in rich colours and with glorious detail, these are timeless stories you’ll return to again and again.”–Jill Murphy, The Bookbag5 Star Review

Drawing on the folklore and mythology of India and Nepal and inspired by author John Jackson’s travels in those countries, Tales for Great Grandchildren is an enchanting collection of 13 illustrated short stories aimed at children aged 7-12 years old. A father, grandfather and great-grandfather himself, author John Jackson has created an enchanting world of flying turtles, truculent tigers, and talking lotus flowers that will enthral readers. John’s stories have been brought to life by critically acclaimed artist Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini, who has created 27 original illustrations for the book, including 13 full color works.Buy it here $30.00